PDA threatens to launch protest movement

ABBOTTABAD: The Pakistan Doctors Association (PDA) on Wednesday threatened to launch a protest movement if the kidnapped senior registrar of the Ayub Medical College was not recovered within one week.

Senior Registrar of Ayub Medical College Dr. Abdul Aziz was kidnapped from his native Swabi on October 24 when he was on his way back to Abbottabad. PDA president for Hazara chapter Dr. Sajjad told The News that they observed complete one-day strike in the Ayub Teaching Hospital to protest the kidnapping of Dr. Abdul Aziz. He said the entire doctors’ community had expressed solidarity with the kidnapped doctor and even closed their private clinics for one day.

He said the PDA at a meeting decided to give one-week deadline to the provincial government to recover Dr Abdul Aziz. “We will extend our protest to the whole province if the kidnapped doctor is not recovered within one week,” he vowed.

The family members of the kidnapped doctor said that they had no enmity with anyone. They feared that the doctor might have been kidnapped for ransom.

His colleagues in Ayub Medical College said that although he had spent one and half year in Abbottabad, most of his patients belonged to Swabi, where he was regularly operating his private clinic. “Eight to 10 patients would visit Abbottabad from Swabi to meet the doctor every week,” said a staff member.

A source disclosed that the kidnappers had demanded Rs8 million as ransom. However, none of his family members confirmed it. “It is important for us to get back Dr Abdul Aziz safe and sound. We have not been contacted by anyone thus far,” claimed father-in-law of the kidnapped doctor.